Good article. In addition to rituals and effects on spells, constellations are good to use during character creation, especially if a GM has a calendar worked out (especially with holi-days.) Go to Comment

I know it's a first draft, feels like it. I think the myths need some more detail and the composition needs tightening up, but it's a nice first pass, a good overall concept and a good reason for very different gods to be thrown together - in fact I'm surprised they aren't more different. Go to Comment

Interesting idea and variations on use of the pool, drums up a lot of possibilities. The "Temple of the Pool" (or whatever) would likely be a very influential, and very powerful, center of worship and culture, especially since it has a long and syncretic past.

A GM could also give the pool more far reaching potential by not limiting the range of certain effects because it's still within the pool's (and the GM's) control, gives the pool another "vessel" out there in the world. Perhaps it only does this occasionally, or with a "chosen one." Go to Comment

Pretty cool, great item for encounters. Another suggestion would be just knowing the cult's ceremonies involved music as well as sheet music if any of the PCs have some musical skill (someone usually plays at least one instrument or can sing). There could also be a synergy bonus for a rogue when combined w/deciphering codes and scripts.

As a suggestion,if the Puppet Warriors are made (in part) of wood and water heals them, it might be that they wood is still in part alive ("Resurrection Wood" or some such.) In that case any spell that harms plants could still damage them, provided it got through their magical resistance. That's still a pretty rare weakness so not unreasonable.

Another cool idea is presented to me in the description of the soul masks (and Redgre's comments above.) The adventurers enter a new land, only to find out they are not needed (so it seems) because the Puppet Warriors fill that role.

Unfortunately, when these beings were created, time was of the essence, so prisoners were used. Most volunteered in return for favors and their families being taken care of, but one of the masks is occupied by the soul of (take your pick):

~ A particularly dastardly criminal
~ An evil wizard, sorcerer or shaman
~ An ambitious traitor
~ An old rival of the King (perhaps done away with illegally)
~ A regular person in life, who is now slowly going insane within their new prison and wants revenge

Now this person is slowly regaining memories of their past life. Perhaps it can control the other Puppet Warriors somehow.

Very nice. I'd go a different route with the eighth time, basically a cannibalistic version of the magical "passing through the Abyss." Anyway still a cool concept. Reminds me of a passage from the Book of the Law:

"Worship me with fire & blood; worship me with swords & with spears. Let the woman be girt with a sword before me: let blood flow to my name. Trample down the Heathen; be upon them, o warrior, I will give you of their flesh to eat!" Go to Comment

Interesting concept, nicely lifted to fit into many games. Another potential special attack might be that the Mirror Golem can steal spells from targeted magicians or absorb spells cast directly at it, either to be recovered by its master or to be cast again later. They might also power additional abilities (dazzling light attack, bending light for invisibility, casting illusions within its surface that can be used as suggestions or insanity attacks, phantasmal killers, what have you, or else such spells allow the creature to heal very fast. Go to Comment

Nice little addition to a magician's arsenal or any number of plot hooks and adventure starters within. A nice spin would be that the crumenorix suspends time for its contents, especially living creatures. Another possible plot hook:

Talking Head
The crumenorix contains the severed but still animated head of some creature (fey, troll, lich, brazen head, whatever), that speaks in conspiratorial whispers and claims to know something important (impending invasion, ancient fabled lore, state secret, witness to a crime, buried treasure.) Go to Comment